Web News, Mid-June Edition (Updated with the Latest FF3 News)

Help Firefox 3 Set a New World's Record - Download It Today!

Today (June 17) is the official Firefox 3 Download Day, and you can help set a new world's record for the most software downloaded in a single day by pledging to download it (and then downloading it when it's available). As of posting time, the US was in the lead, but Poland was in second place.

Firefox is pulling out all the stops to spread the word, including social network sites, website buttons, and much more. Here's how to get involved. Signing up for Download Day is also the best way to find out when FF3 actually launches, as the official Firefox download page was still listing Firefox 2 this morning. Mozilla will email pledgers when FF3 is ready to rumble.

Update: 11:17AM PDT

The Firefox Download Day website (spreadfirefox.com) seems to be a victim of its own success - it's been down much of the time since FF3 launched (10:00AM PDT). If you want your download of FF3 to count towards the world record, keep checking the website if it's down. However, if you don't want to wait, you have two options:

If you installed RC3, keep using it. According to ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, "it seems that the RC3 and the final build are identical - the MD5 hashes match up exactly "

Update 2: 11:45AM PDT

If you're lucky enough to connect to the download page through the Firefox Download Day website (spreadfirefox.com), make sure you're being offered Firefox 3. For some reason, I was offered Firefox 2.0.0.14 the first time I got as far as the actual Download Day page (direct link here). However, the second time worked, and I'm now downloading FF3 (and helping Mozilla to a new world's record)!

Note to Firefox: Next time, make sure you have enough infrastructure for the job!

New AVG Malware Scanner Distorts Website Traffic Measurements

Malware scanners are supposed to be good for the web - or are they? Our friends at The Register report that the new AVG LinkScanner malware scanner (a part of AVG version 8 antivirus), which checks search engine results before a user clicks on them, is making a hash of website traffic stats. Some websites are reporting traffic increases of 80%, but unlike actual clicks, no human eyeballs are seeing the pages - and, to make matters worse, website owners must pay for the extra traffic, even though they're not getting actual page views, ad clicks, or anything else. Web site administrators will want to read on to page 2 for more technical discussions of how LinkScanner works and why it's a pain.

To learn how to disable LinkScanner, and for some suggested replacements, see this LockerGnome posting.

Find PSP Strategy Guides Without Touching a PC

The Inquirer.net reports that the PSP (PlayStation Portable) is about to get Google-enabled. The forthcoming v4.00 firmware update adds Google to the XMB interface. Another bonus in the v4.00 update is the ability to use the up or down directional buttons to change viewing speeds of videos being played back from a Memory Stick PRO Duo inserted in the PSP.

Trying to do my part for FF3 and downloaded to all my computers... Around 1am EST 6/18, I'm perusing the map and check out the activity in Africa. Not much happening, so I click on individual countries. Niger has 1 download. I don't know why, but there is something really riveting in the thought that one person in the whole country has downloaded FF3. I started wondering who this person is. Did they even intend to do it, or was it an auto update? How old is he or she? What kind of computer? What the hell is Niger like anyhow?

I went over to Wikipedia and checked out the Niger article. Not so bad as many places it seems, but still damn tough. I have to appreciate my cushy life in the States, where I personally have downloaded FF3 to 6 times as many computers as the whole country of Niger.